by Peter High, CIO Straight Talk Issue 6

CIO Straight Talk: Why were you interested in learning about CIO’s first 100 days?

Peter High: In our consulting practice, over half of the time, our first engagement with a company will be a collaboration with a CIO at the beginning of his or her journey, as we look at how their new teams compare to what we call “world class IT” organizations. It’s very important to do so at the start of the journey, because after 100 days, any problem that you have not identified up to that point is your problem- even if it results from the actions of your predecessor. It’s really important to have an eyes-wide-open perspective: How do I augment this department’s strengths, where is it weak, where do we have to prioritize funds and people and activities to improve in areas where there have been issues?

Everyone will have the “first 100 days” at some point in their career, and it can happen multiple times in the same company if one is promoted from within. This is a widely shared experience, and I think it’s possible to identify a few universal principles that have made some executives very successful.

CIO Straight Talk: So there is a recurring pattern that you’ve observed in CIO’s first months on the job?

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